Ice-creeper.



PATENTED SEPT. 4, 1906.

J. HUNT. ICE CREBPBR.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. a. 1906.

NoRms P: r; as

WNIISFB FATIFNT OFFIQR.

ICE-CREEPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1906.

Application filed March 8, 1906. Serial No. 304.876.

.To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HUNT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Woonsocket, in the County of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented Certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-Creepers g and I do declare the following to be a full, Clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in ice-Creepers for use upon rubber overshoes or the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical, and efficient device of this character which is permanently attached to an overshoe and which may be readily thrown into and out of operation.

Vith the above and other objects in viewv the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through a rubber shoe and my improved icecreeper, the latter being in its inoperative position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the Creeper in its operative position. Fig. 8 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 3 3 in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 4 4 in Fig. l, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the Creeper proper.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, l denotes a rubber overshoe or any other suitble form of foot-covering which has a heelcavity 2 and a flexible shank 3 between the heel and the sole, and 4 denotes my im proved Creeper. rlhc latter is permanently secured upon the under face of the shank 3 and, as shown, is in the form of a metal plate ,having at its sides and ends downwardlybent integral spurs 5; but a Creeper of any other form and Construction may be employed. The length of the spurs 5 and the disposition of the Creeper is such that the spurs are normally above the ground or other surface upon which the shoe is placed, and in order to project the Creeper downwardly into engagement with the ground or other surface I provide a projecting device 6, which is in the form of a flap, which forms a false heel I adapted to lie normally in the heel-cavity 2 and to be folded over upon the shank 3 above the Creeper, so that when the foot is put down upon the ground the fiexible shank 3 of the shoe will be forced downwardly, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, to project the Creeper. As shown, this device 6 comprises a strip of leather or other flexible material 7, which has secured upon one of its faces two thicker blocks or pieces 8 9 of leather or the like,

. which are adapted to fold upon each other,

-as shown in Fig. 2, the flexibility of the piece or strip 7 permitting this. The opposite end of the strip 7 is secured upon the inner face of the shank 3 by a Clamping-plate 10 and rivets or similar fastening means 11, which also secure the Creeper 4 upon the bottom of said shank. I preferably employ two rivets,which are passed through alining openings in the Creeper 4, the shank 3, the strip 7, and the plate 10, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. One, two, or any number of blocks or pieces 8 9 may be employed, and they are preferably shaped so that they fill the heel-cavity 2, as will be seen upon reference to Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The operation and advantages of the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in Connection with the accompanying drawings. It will be seen that when the flap or projecting device 6 is in the heel-Cavity 2 the Creeper will not be forced into engagement with the ground or other surface when the shoe is not in use, but when the same is folded to the position shown in Fig. 2 the flexible shank 3 will be forced downwardly when the shoe is put down and the Creeper forced into the snow, ice, or other slippery surface, as will be readily seen upon reference to said figure.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I Claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. rlhe Combination with a shoe having a flexible shank, of a Creeper upon said shank, and means for depressing. said shank to project said Creeper.

2. The Combination with a shoe having a flexible shank, of a Creeper upon said shank,

IOO

and means placed Within the shoe above the shank for projecting said creeper, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a shoe havinga flexible shank, of a creeper secured beneath said shank, and a projector Within said shoe adapted to be moved into engagement withl the inner face of said shank above said Creeper for the purpose of projecting the latter.

4. The combination With a shoe having Va flexible shank, of a creeper secured beneath said shank, and a foldable projecting element adapted to lie normally in the heel of the shoe and to be folded over upon said shank above the creeper.

5. The combination With a shoe having a flexible shank, of a creeper secured beneath said shank, and a sectional fiap adapted to lie normally in the heel of the shoe and to be folded over upon said shank above said Creeper.

6. The combination With a shoe having a iiexible shank, of a creeper secured beneath said shank, and a Creeper-projector comprising a flexible strip attached to the shank and having blocks or pieces thereon adapted to be folded upon each other and above said shank and to lie normally in the heel of the shoe, substantially as described.

7. The combination With a shoe having a flexible shank, of a creeper upon the bottom of said shank, a projector for said creeper comprising a flexible strip and blocks or pieces attached thereto and adapted to lie folded over upon each other and the upper face of said shank, a clamping-plate upon one end of the strip, and a rivet -or the like passed through the creeper, the shank, the strip and the plate, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of tWo subscribing Wit- IIGSSGS.

JOHN HUNT. Witnesses:

PATRICK F. CAssIDY, THOMAS MYRIcK. 

